Send us a text

Cold calls, cold emails, cold everything — they’re dead.
In this episode, Josh Matthews sits down with Drew Sechrist, one of the earliest Salesforce builders and now the founder of Connect The Dots, to break down how authentic relationships drive sales, recruiting, and growth in 2025.

They unpack:

• The story behind Salesforce’s first culture of connection — and how it changed everything
• How to find warm paths into any account or candidate using relationship intelligence
• Why transparency and alignment (Mark Benioff’s V2MOM model) still win decades later
• The role of AI in building trust, not replacing it
• And how small dinners and meaningful introductions beat mass outreach every time

If you lead sales, recruiting, or you’re a founder trying to stand out in a noisy world — this one’s for you.

Send us a text

Most companies hire too fast, fire too slow, and wonder why they stay stuck in the minors. Josh Matthews and business coach Chris Hallberg unpack how “slow to hire, quick to fire” really works — from using assessments and culture filters to holding leaders accountable and scaling simplicity. A masterclass in hiring and leadership without the corporate BS.

Why do so many companies keep hiring the wrong people — and then keep them too long? In this straight-talking episode, Josh and Chris break down what “slow to hire, quick to fire” actually means — and why most organizations get it dead wrong.

You’ll learn how to:

• Turn hiring into curation, not desperation
• Use assessments to find the right wiring
• Keep panels from killing great candidates
• Build trust, conflict, and commitment into your culture
• Scale simplicity instead of complexity

Brutally honest and packed with takeaways, this one’s for leaders and recruiters ready to play in the majors.

Connect with Chris Hallberg:
🔹 Website: https://bizsgt.com

🔹 GoExpand: https://goexpand.com

🔹 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishallberg/

🔹 Book: The Business Sergeant’s Field Manual — available on Amazon:

Connect with Josh Matthews:
🔹 Website: https://thesalesforcerecruiter.com

🔹 YouTube: https://joshforce.com/YouTube

🔹 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuamatthews

Send us a text

The recent Salesforce layoffs shook the tech world—over 4,000 jobs cut globally. But if you’re impacted, this isn’t the end of your career—it could be the turning point. In this episode of The Hiring Edge by Joshforce, Josh Matthews is joined by Michael Vukovich (CEO, Wise Wolves) and Peter Ganza to deliver practical, proven strategies to help Salesforce professionals navigate layoffs and land their next opportunity.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why jumping to another tech giant (like IBM or Oracle) may not be your best move
• How mid-sized companies can value your enterprise experience more than Fortune 500s
• Smart ways to leverage your Salesforce brand on platforms like LinkedIn, Upwork, and Fiverr
• Networking strategies that actually open doors (without coming across as desperate)
• Why venting on LinkedIn could sabotage your job search—and what to do instead
• How to reframe layoffs as an opportunity to upskill and reposition your career
• The small but powerful actions—like thank-you notes—that set candidates apart
• Mindset shifts to process the change and move forward with confidence

If you’ve been affected by layoffs, this conversation offers both immediate tactics and long-term career management advice.

👉 Subscribe for more hiring insights from Joshforce and The Hiring Edge.
👉 Watch related episodes on navigating layoffs and career pivots.

#SalesforceCareers #Layoffs2025 #TechJobs #CareerAdvice

Send us a text

In this episode of The Hiring Edge, host Josh Matthews brings on Salesforce architect and founder of the People First Method, Jon Cline. This isn’t your typical tech talk — Jon breaks down how soft skills like empathy, communication, and collaboration are the real power plays in the tech world.

He shares a powerful transformation story of Serena, a military spouse who went from jobless and discouraged to landing a major role and leading projects — all by shifting how she showed up in interviews and on teams.

They unpack:

• Why most tech projects fail (and it’s not about the tech).
• The mindset shift that drives career breakthroughs.
• How simple tools like process diagrams can become leadership assets.
• Why “go-givers” win long term over “go-getters.”

🚨 LIMITED OFFER: Use code shared in the podcast at PeopleFirstMethod.com to get 50% OFF the next cohort — only 12 spots available. Starts in September.

Send us a text

Betrayal at work is the hidden threat sabotaging your culture, health, and performance. In this episode, Josh Matthews talks with Dr. Debi Silber, TEDx speaker, psychologist, and author of Trust Again, about how workplace betrayal damages trust and how you can heal.

Learn why betrayal is different from any other trauma, the symptoms of Post-Betrayal Syndrome, and the five proven stages of recovery. Whether you lead a team or are healing yourself, you’ll discover actionable strategies to rebuild trust and create a thriving workplace.

Keywords:
workplace betrayal, rebuilding trust, team culture, leadership, trauma recovery, Dr. Debi Silber, TEDx speaker, Post-Betrayal Syndrome, employee well-being

Send us a text

Is your pay strategy quietly driving talent out the door? In this no-fluff episode, Josh Matthews sits down with compensation expert Scott Trumpolt to break down pay transparency laws, broken bonus systems, and how to finally build comp plans that retain and motivate. If you're hiring, leading, or scaling, this one’s a game-changer.

🔍 Chapters:

00:16 – Why your comp strategy might be broken
01:27 – What pay transparency laws get wrong
05:06 – The problem with static pay bands
11:35 – Building trust through variable pay transparency
19:22 – The truth about salary data (Glassdoor, Salary.com, etc.)
22:58 – Pay equity in remote vs. on-site roles

🎙 Guest: Scott Trumpolt
Founder, HRCompensationConsulting.com
LinkedIn: Scott Trumpolt

📌 Host: Josh Matthews | The Hiring Edge – Smarter Teams. No Fluff.

Send us a text

In this raw and real episode of Salesforce Hiring Edge, we sit down with David Kestenberg — former CIO, startup founder, and transformation leader — to talk about something no one is saying out loud in tech hiring: vulnerability is a weapon.

From building authentic teams to calling BS on fake personas in interviews, David, Josh Matthews, and Josh LeQuire break down how to create a culture where people are safe to be real — and why that leads to better hires, better retention, and better outcomes.

You’ll learn:

• Why saying "I don't know" might be your biggest strength
• How to use vulnerability to create high-performance teams
• The silent cost of inauthentic hires
• How diversity, culture, and transparency create hiring edge in Salesforce orgs
• How to screen for realness, not resumes

🎯 Whether you're hiring, getting hired, or leading a team — this episode is your blueprint for building something that lasts.

👉 Follow us on LinkedIn:
Josh Matthews | David Kestenberg | Josh LeQuire

🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite app.
📺 Watch full episodes on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSmNMZJZbG-cywtt1nVYZWA

Send us a text

Not all recruiters are equal — and hiring the wrong one could cost you time, money, and top talent.

In this episode, Josh Matthews explains exactly how to vet a recruiter, what red flags to avoid, and how speed and quality can work together to deliver better hires. Learn why specialization, transparency, and relationship-building are non-negotiable if you want to build a high-performing Salesforce team.

Listen in and upgrade your hiring strategy.

#Recruiting #SalesforceHiring #Leadership #BusinessStrategy #HiringTips